Off Limits
by LivesToDream
Summary: Rose Weasley was off limits to Scorpius Malfoy... But that didn't mean that he had to like it. Oneshot


Disclaimer: I am fully aware that Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

* * *

Having been raised in the traditional Malfoy fashion, Scorpius was not used to being told that he couldn't have something. The idea that something (or, rather, _someone_) was off limits to him was rather incredulous.

Malfoys were proud of their name, their house. It had always gotten them exactly what they wanted, exactly when they wanted it; which was why it was so unfair that it was now his name and house that prevented him from getting what he desired the most.

Slytherins weren't Hufflepuffs (obviously); they were not a warm and fuzzy house that held hands and loved each other dearly. Slytherins had _rules_. They didn't date people from other houses. And they certainly did not date a _Weasley_ (no matter how beautiful she was when she laughed or how blue her eyes were). Rose Weasley was off limits to Scorpius Malfoy. It didn't matter that she was Ravenclaw and not a bloody Gryffindor like her parents. It didn't matter that she was the most gorgeous girl he'd ever seen, with her glossy auborn hair and stormy blue eyes. It didn't matter that she the top of their class. It didn't even matter that her cousin Albus had been sorted into Slytherin and was one of his best mates.

None of it mattered. Rose Weasley was off limits to Scorpius Malfoy… It didn't mean that he had to like it.

Just because she was off limits did not mean that he couldn't watch her. When no one was looking of course. Al was the only one who knew about his - er - crush and he intended to keep it that way.

* * *

Just because she was off limits didn't mean that he couldn't notice things about her.

It didn't mean that he couldn't know that her birthday was March seventeenth and that she was a Pisces. It didn't mean that he couldn't know that her favorite flavor of ice cream was chocolate. It didn't mean that he couldn't know that she smelled like lavender or that her favorite color was blue, nor did it mean that he couldn't know that she loved to read. According to Al her favorite book was written by some muggle author. _Pride and Prejudice_, he had claimed. It didn't mean that he couldn't read _Pride and Prejudice_ to see what she liked so much about it (not that he would ever in his life admit to his father that he had read a muggle book).

Scorpius didn't see why Albus kept saying that he was beyond a crush but to the point of _obsession_.

* * *

Just because she was off limits didn't mean that he couldn't talk to her.

"What are you reading?" he asked her one afternoon in the library.

Rose looked up curiously, with a twinge of annoyance at being disturbed. She held up her book uncertainly.

"Pride and Prejudice," he noted.

Rose snorted. "Like you've read it."

He flipped through it before setting it back down in front of her. He smirked. "Surprised?"

Rose shook her head slightly, before tucking a long strand of her glossy red hair behind her ear.

"You do know that Jane Austen was a muggle, don't you?"

Scorpius narrowed his eyes. She could be so infuriating at times. "Of course I do."

Rose shook her head before returning to her book. "I'm not an idiot, Malfoy. I know you would never _lower _yourself to reading a muggle classic."

Scorpius sat down across from her.

"I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine," he quoted easily.

A surprised smile crept onto Rose's face as she gathered her books to leave. "Lucky guess."

* * *

Rose Weasley was off limits but that didn't mean that he couldn't defend her.

"That Weasley girl," Emily Goyle fumed in the Slytherin common room one afternoon, "She's such a know it all!"

Scorpius tensed, his fist clenching. Of all the times for Al to have gone to the library… At least he would have a reason to murder the pig faced slut. Rose was his cousin after all.

"What did she do now?"

"Ugh, she made me look like such an idiot in potions. I mean, I didn't need her to correct me! She's such a bitch!"

That was it. Scorpius slammed his book shut, getting up from his chair.

"And she always acts so innocent too," Emily's friend was grimacing, "And you know that- Oh, hi Scorpius."

Emily immediately began to flutter her eyelashes, "Is something wrong?"

"Emily," he glared at her.

She was oblivious to his anger.

"Yes?" she said in a tone that he reckoned was supposed to be sexy.

"There's a reason she made you look like an idiot in Potions. You are one. A bitch too, by the way. At least Rose Weasley has a brain."

Her mouth dropped.

Scorpius smirked as he walked off.

* * *

Just because she was off limits didn't mean that he couldn't write notes to her…

**Hey Weasley, what's the answer to 7?**

_Is a Malfoy actually asking a Weasley for help?_

**No, of course not. Malfoy's don't ask for help. We ask for assistance.**

_Is there a difference?_

**Asking for assistance is much more dignified.**

_Well, I'm sorry Malfoy (actually, I'm not but that would be rude to admit) but I cannot give you my "assistance"._

**Oh, yes, being polite has always been so important to you, Weasley. **

_Why is Albus friends with you again?_

**How are you related to Albus again?**

_Go screw yourself._

**It would be more fun if you were there.**

_You're sick, Malfoy._

**So what's the answer to 7?**

* * *

Just because she was off limits didn't mean that he couldn't study with her.

Rose rolled her eyes as she sat down across from him in the library.

"I can't believe that I have to work with you on a project," she muttered, more to herself than to the smirking blond. She looked up to meet his icy blue eyes. "I swear, if you bring my grade down…"

Scorpius rolled his eyes, flipping through his text book, "You don't have much faith in me, do you?

Rose flipped through the textbook, wisely deciding to ignore him, "Let's just divide up the work," she muttered.

She didn't expect to actually enjoy working on this project with him. Somehow, though, she did.

(Not that she would ever, in a million years, admit it.)

* * *

Just because she was off limits didn't mean that he couldn't get jealous

"Logan?" Scorpius demanded angrily, "Greg fucking Logan?"

Albus was staring with an amused smirk at the brand new dent in his best mate's fork.

"Greg's not a bad guy," Albus argued, taking a bite of his own food with his own unbent fork.

"Bloody Hell, Al!" Scorpius exclaimed, stabbing his food with his dented silver fork. "He's a sodding pansy!"

Even while talking to Albus, Scorpius kept his eyes glued to the casual way in which Logan's arm was wrapped around Rose's shoulders as they entered the Great Hall together.

The things that Scorpius wanted to that arm…

Albus seemed to read his mind. "Rosie would like you even less if you killed her boyfriend."

* * *

Just because she was off limits didn't mean that he couldn't comfort her.

Scorpius went into the library for a Potions book. Instead, he found Rose Weasley staring into space.

"Hey, Weasley." He abandoned his potion book until a later date, in favor of sitting with his favorite red head. Recieving only silence in return, he searched her face for a response.

Nothing.

No spark in those tempestuous eyes of her.

No witty retort from those lush, red lips of hers.

No scathing glare.

Nothing.

She just sat there, staring blankly into space.

Something was very wrong. "Rose?" Greg Logan's face popped immediately into his head.

She didn't speak for a few more moments.

"He was with Emily Goyle." Her voice was no louder than a whisper but it had a ragged edge to it. Her hands were trembling, he noticed, upon further investigation, "He was _shagging_," she spat, her voice gaining more and more volume by the second, "Emily Goyle." There was no question about whom "he" was.

She looked at him finally, with red, blotchy eyes.

Scorpius was speechless for a moment.

"He's a bastard, Rose," her shook his head, "and Emily, she's a fucking whore."

She didn't appear to be cheered.

"He seemed so decent," Rose whispered.

When Scorpius took one of Rose's petite hands, she didn't pull away for a whole minute.

The next day, Greg Logan was walking around Hogwarts with a black eye.

* * *

Just because she was off limits didn't mean that he couldn't dance with her.

She was stunning. Of course, she was always beautiful but he had never seen her look so elegant. Her black dress clung to her like a second skin until it reach her hips and descended into a long, flowing train. Her auburn hair fell on her shoulders in soft waves.

He had never wanted her so much in his life.

He walked over to where she was standing alone in the corner, oblivious to the admiring glances that she was earning herself.

"Dance with me, Weasley?" He asked her, although, in reality, he had no intention of accepting no as an answer.

Rose, never mind that she would never in a million years admit it, couldn't help but notice that Scorpius cleaned up nicely, himself - not that he was ever exactly ruffled or dirty. She was beginning to understand why he had so many fan girls. Not that she ever intended on joining them.

This, she managed to convince herself, was the only reason that with a sigh and an eye roll (and although she would deny it until the end of eternity, a small blush), she followed him out onto the dance floor.

Rose ignored how perfectly they seemed to fit, preferring to chart it off to the fact that they were both quite skilled dancers.

When she song ended, they parted. Rose spent the rest of the night denying that she felt anything for the cocky blond. Scorpius spent the rest of the night with a ridiculous grin on his face.

* * *

Just because she was off limits didn't mean that he couldn't eavesdrop on her. Unintentionally, of course.

"Rose," squealed a small girl with fiery red hair that Scorpius recognized as her cousin, Lily. "You were dancing with Scorpius Malfoy!"

The hall they were walking down was empty - well, except for him but he wasn't planning on making his presence known. He'd seen Rose leaving the ballroom and had been planning on following her.

But, a smirk graced his face, he was a Slytherin and what kind of Slytherin would he be if he passed at the opportunity to hear what the object of his desire had to say about him? He wouldn't be a Slytherin at all; he'd be a bloody Hufflepuff.

Rose, however, much to Scorpius's disappointment, did not blush or giggle girlishly and gush about how handsome he was as he knew that most girls did (they rarely gushed about his modesty). Her calm demeanor did not falter whatsoever as she rolled her eyes and cast an amused glance at her cousin. "It was just a dance, Lily," she tucked her a rebellious wave behind her ear.

Lily giggled again, rolling her own green orbs. "Come on, Rosie_. You _don't 'just dance' with Malfoy. And I hope you know that my jerk of a brother is going to be on your case later about that dance."

Rose crossed her arms, "I don't answer to James, thank you very much," she snapped, "and I danced with Malfoy because he asked. It would have been rude not to." Were her cheeks growing pink?

Lily didn't look at all convinced or satisfied. "Since, when have you cared about being polite to Malfoy?" she demanded.

Rose didn't answer for a few moments. Scorpius was careful to remain silent as he followed them down the hall, disappointed with the lack of gushing that this conversation contained. He had all but given up on hearing anymore until Rose broke the silence.

"He's not as bad as you think, you know," she said suddenly.

Lily just smiled, "I didn't say anything."

Rose shook her head, "He's just so _confusing_!"

Lily giggled again, "What boy isn't?"

"And elusive!" she continued on, ignoring the commentary. "I never know what to expect. One minute he's telling me that he's read _Pride and Prejudice_ and the next, he's snogging some fourth year in a broom closet!"

Scorpius grinned at the twinge of jealousy in her voice.

"There's no way Scorpius Malfoy has read one of those muggle books you're obsessed with!" her bubbly cousin exclaimed in disbelief.

'He quoted it," Rose said very seriously, but with a note of disbelief in her own voice.

A light bulb seemed to go on in the younger girl's head. "I think he likes you," her lips curled into a teasing grin.

"Please," Rose snorted, "He doesn't like anyone besides Al," she paused.

"You're blushing!"

"I am not!" her cheeks reddened even more.

Another light bulb went off in Lily's head, "You like him too."

"Don't be ridiculous," Rose scolded.

"You like him," Lily sang teasingly.

Rose walked away from her cousin in a huff after muttering an annoyed goodbye.

Scorpius smirked widely.

* * *

Just because she was off limits didn't mean that he couldn't ask her out.

"No," Rose didn't think for even a moment before answering.

"That's it?" Scorpius questioned her in disbelief, "You're not even going to think about it?"

"What's to think about?" she murmured resolutely before walking away.

* * *

Just because she was off limits didn't mean that he could ask her out again.

"This is the second time in one week, Malfoy," she answered this time, amused, "Careful, I might start to think that you actually like me."

"Well, that was rather the point of asking you out."

Rose didn't look nearly as sure of herself now as she laughed nervously. "Come on. I'm a Weasley, you're a Malfoy."

"And Albus is a Potter." Scorpius reminded her.

The auburn haired girl shook her head. "That's different. He's a Slytherin and anyway," her voice grew louder and more confident by the second, "We both know you're not serious."

He raised an eyebrow, "I'm not, am I?"

"_No_," she answered for him, as she began to walk away from him, "you're not."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back, disarming her with icy blue eyes, "Rose," he began quietly, "I am very serious."

Rose pulled away and was quiet for a moment. She looked contemplative as she made her mental pro and con list. She was having a serious problem coming up with any cons other than _He's a Malfoy _and _He's an arrogant prat sometimes_. Then again, Greg Logan had been charming and modest and he had turned out to be an absolute pig.

"Fine," she said finally.

Scorpius let out an internal whoop of joy (not aloud, of course - Malfoys did not ever "woop for joy").

"But Malfoy," Rose added after another pause, "You better not screw this up."

"Duly noted."

* * *

He didn't screw up.

* * *

Five years later, Ron Weasley's face was a dark red. Rose flinched as steam came from his ears.

"You're marrying a Malfoy?"

* * *

**The End**


End file.
